Improvement in patient-elevators



*i `UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

ERNST MARX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IM PROVEMENT IN PATIENT-ELEVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,595, dated May 19,1863.

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST MARX, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Patient-Elevator and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description ofthe same, reference being had to the vaccompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinalvertical section of my invention, the plane of section being indicatedby the line x Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, takenin the plane indicated by the line y y, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the same. Fig. 4 is a detached elevation of the strap-carrier.

Similar letters of reference in the several views indicate correspondingparts.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A represents a frame,composed oftwo lon gitudinal bars, a, united attheir ends by the arched cross-bars b, and made sufciently large to passfreely over ordinary bedsteads. This frame is suspended by means ofstraps c from a shaft, B, which has its bearings in standards C. Saidstandards are connected at the top by a bar, d, and they rest on legs c,which may be provided with casters, so that the whole device can beeasily moved from place to place. The shaft B is provided with aworm-wheel, f, which gears into an endless screw, g, to which a rotarymotion is imparted by a belt, h, running over pulleys h h, and by acrank, hit. The pulley h is arranged on a shaft which has its bearing ina frame, hit, that is pivoted to one of the standards G, so thatV it canlbe turned up or down, as may be desired. A pawl, IWF, retains saidframe in the desired position. By this arrangement the belt 7L can betightened whenever it is found desirable. By rotating the shaft B, thestraps c are wound or unwound from pulleys t', which are firmly securedto said shaft, and the frame A is raised or lowered. During itsup-and-down motion the frame is steadied by curved arms t', whichconnect the arched cross-bars b with slides it, that move up and down onthe standards C. Set-screws i2 serve to set these slides at any height.The frameA is provided with a hinged foot-piece, D, and with a similarheadpiece, E. The foot-piece is connected to the frame A by means ofpivots 7c, and its loose end is suspended from a strap, k, which windson a pulley secured to the horizontal shaft k2. This shaft is rotated bymeans of a wormwheel secured to one of its ends and gearing in anendless screw, kit, to which a rotary motion is imparted by a crank,kit. By these means the foot-piece can be adjusted to any desired angle.The head-piece is connected to the frame A by pivots l, and its looseend is raised or lowered by a pinion, l', gearing in a toothed arc, lit,which is firmly secured to one of the arched crossbars, b. The arc Z* ismade in several sections which are connected by hinges so that the samecan be partially turned back out of the way of the head of the patient.

The frame A and the head and foot pieces are provided with a series ofstraps, F, which are adjustable and removable-adjustable so that theycan be stretched tight or loose, at pleasure, and removable so that theycan be easily taken oft' and attached again when desired. Each strap isprovided with a loop or cap, m, to receive the end ot' the strap-carrierG, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, said strapcarrier consisting of a thin,dat, curved piece of wood or metal with a suitable handle. It' a patientis to be removed from his bed the frame A is placed over the bed andlowered until the longitudinal bars c are on a level with the surface ofthe bed, the straps F having previously been removed. One strap afterthe other is now passed under the patient by means of the strap-carrierand tightened to suit the convenience of the pa tient, and after all ormost ofthe sti aps have been passed under the patient and properlyfastened to the frame A, and to the head and foot pieces, the patient iselevated from ofi` his bed and removed, and the bed can now be cleanedand put in order.

If desired, the standards C might be secured to the bedstead itself, butin this case the patient could only be elevated from its bed and notremoved from over it. In some cases, however, this arrangement may bepreferable, particularly .in localities where, for want of room, theremoval of the patient is impracticable. In hospitals, however, or inlarge rooms, it is preferable to have the standard C separate, andprovided with casters, so

frame A, constructed andrmoperrating in the manner and for the purposesspecified.

3. The employment or use of the strap-carrier G, in combination with theremovable straps F and elevating-frame A, constructed and operatingsubstantiall)T as and for the purpose described.

ERNST MARX.

Witnesscsr M. S. PARTRIDGE, DANIEL ROBERTSON.

